Stories
The Dipstick
The Dipstick was the problem when Dani’s fingernail bent back on the latch and she found the oil low. Mastering this simple maintenance task ensures your vehicl...
Stories
The Weight He Put Back on the Shelf
He reached for the 35, the way he always reached for the 35, and then his hand stopped about two inches short and just hung there in the cold air of the rack. T...
Stories
The Half-Empty Pot
The pot holds twelve quarts. She knows this because the handle says so, stamped into the steel in letters that have gone grey from dishwasher cycles she couldn'...
Stories
The Room You Stopped Sitting In
The sofa was a Restoration Hardware, the color called Dune, chosen during a phase when she believed people would come over on Saturdays. The cushions still held...
Stories
What nobody finished saying: The afternoon we sat down and talked about our wishes
Gus set the mug down without looking at where it landed, and some coffee sloshed onto the Formica and he left it. The legal pad had one line on it: Renata's nam...
Stories
The Weekend With Nothing on It
The lake was already dark at the edges when she set the duffel on the porch boards. She unzipped the front pocket and read her sister's note again, then folded ...
Stories
The Window Seat
The seats were still cold from the night cleaning. Delia pressed her palm flat against the glass and left a print. She set the thermos between her boots on the ...
Stories
Finding the Best Diner in Every Town You Pass Through: Ray's Menu Lesson
Finding the best little diner in every town they pass through is a challenge because generic chains often hide the authentic spots you crave. You can find the r...
Stories
The Things That Can't Explain Themselves
Aunt Vera set the sugar bowl down, picked it up, set it down again. The dent on the left side caught the kitchen light the same way every time. She pressed her ...
Travel & Lifestyle
Why Slow Travel is Finally Winning Over the Retirement Crowd
Last April, a retired social worker from Cincinnati named Martha sat in a sun-drenched cafe in Lucca, Italy - a city where the walls are actually wide enough to...
